Sharing comes naturally to the Spurs, Heat

Tonight’s game between the Spurs and the Heat should be a treat in more ways than one.

Not only are both teams winning – the Heat have the best record in the Eastern Conference at 10-3, while the Spurs are second in the West at 13-3 – they boast two of the NBA’s most productive offenses. Moreover, tonight’s opponents are perhaps the two best passing teams in basketball, setting the stage for a matchup that could be as beautiful as it is compelling.

(Provided, of course, Gregg Popovich doesn’t thumb his nose at everyone and rest his team after already securing a hugely successful road trip.)

According to Basketball Reference’s measurements, the Heat are tied with Oklahoma City for first in the NBA with an offensive rating of 112.3. The Spurs (109.0) are fifth and climbing fast thanks to their recent road trip, which culminates tonight.

The Spurs have been nothing short of magnificent during the first five games, registering a 115.4 offensive rating with a true shooting percentage of 59.2. (The first metric estimates points per 100 possessions, while the second measures overall shooting efficiency.)

The Heat, meanwhile, have been the league’s best shooting team, ranking first in both field goal percentage (49.4) and 3-point percentage (43.2) for an effective proportion of 55.2 – also first.

Impressive as all those numbers are, it’s the manner in which they’ve been amassed that stands out. Both teams emphasize ball movement and unselfishness, traits manifested both on the stat sheet – the Spurs are first with 24.7 assists per game, the Heat fourth at 23.5 – and the court, where they’ve produced one entertaining play after another.

In Miami it’s known as “pace and space,” a system that thrives on the so-called hockey assist – making the extra pass rather than settling for the first good shot.

Imagine a quick sequence around the arc, with the ball whipping from Dwyane Wade to an open LeBron James to an even more open Ray Allen for a corner 3-pointer – which, of course, he drains. That’s the hockey assist, and the Heat emphasize them to the point they track them internally. An interesting discovery – because hockey assists tend to result in 3-point shots, they’re more valuable than standard assists.

Shockingly, Tim Duncan’s Spurs have no use for a cute, alliterative nickname to describe their offensive philosophy. But they might be even better at sharing the basketball than the Heat, executing gorgeous three- and four-man passing sequences on a nightly basis.

Witness this play late in Monday’s victory at Washington, with four passes between four players in the span of eight seconds netting an easy layup for DeJuan Blair.

Or another that preceded it, with Boris Diaw eschewing an initial layup attempt off Manu Ginobili’s outlet pass and getting an even better look courtesy of Nando De Colo.

As you’ll notice, neither of these plays involved Tony Parker or Duncan, both of whom are more than willing to share the ball. Indeed, the same could be said for pretty much the entire roster, which has helped the Spurs produced three players with at least four assists in four of the five games on their current trip.

Those are just numbers, which don’t always accurately measure how effectively a team is sharing the ball. But when combined with the rest of the Spurs’ offensive stats, along with what we’re actually seeing out on the court on a nightly basis, a strong case can be made that this is the NBA’s most unselfish team.

Considering Miami’s excellence in the same area and so many others, tonight’s game is must-see TV for those who enjoy their basketball with a heaping helping of artistry.